Zanni

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

Zanni, term used to describe collectively the servant masks of the commedia dell' arte; the equivalent English term is zany. Among them are Arlecchino, Pantalone, and (later) Columbina, the prototypes of the English pantomime players Harlequin, Pantaloon, and Columbine. The English Punch, known in France as Polichinelle, also derives from a zany, Pulcinella, as do three famous French comic characters, Scapin, Scaramouche, and Pasquin—from Scapino, Scaramuccia, and Pasquino respectively. In France, Pedrolino became a sad, solitary Pierrot, and in England a gregarious member of a seaside concert party. Other minor zanni included Brighella and Mezzetino. In Elizabethan times the word zany conveyed the idea of a ‘clumsy imitator’.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Zanni." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Zanni." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Zanni.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Zanni." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Zanni.html

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